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Cornerstone University
Grand Rapids, MI 1,298 Undergrads 64.2% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$42,043
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$20,301
After Aid
Median Earnings
$53,010
4yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$20,301
Peer Midpoint: $20,080.5
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)$53,010
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Graduation Rate64.2%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients31.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time78.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS72.4%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
77.8%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: -55575th: -
SAT Math
25th: -54075th: -
ACT Composite
25th: -2375th: -
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$406k
-$61k
-$79k
Full Cost$42k/yr
+$327k
-$139k
-$157k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-108%
Full Cost$42k/yr
Never
-104%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-95%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-84%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Associate's Degrees
Business Administration, Management and Operations
AssocCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$27,250
Earnings (4yr)
$61,067
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$117k
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
AssocCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Human Services, General
AssocCIP: 4400
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,422
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
AssocCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,656
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Bible/Biblical Studies
BachCIP: 3902
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,533
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$67,148
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$35k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
BachCIP: 4228
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,923
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
BachCIP: 5006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $43,765
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
BachCIP: 5111
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $61,911
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,478
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$166k
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
BachCIP: 1601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Management Information Systems and Services
BachCIP: 5212
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,616
Earnings (4yr)
$62,782
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$434
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1611
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $67,612
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology
BachCIP: 3903
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $40,103
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
BachCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries
BachCIP: 3907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$38,298
Natl Median: $42,915
Lifetime Value Added
-$204k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,957
Earnings (4yr)
$47,933
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,560
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Publishing
BachCIP: 0910
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,148
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
BachCIP: 0907
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,344
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Research and Experimental Psychology
BachCIP: 4227
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,695
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Social Work
BachCIP: 4407
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$52,568
Natl Median: $51,790
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,625
Earnings (4yr)
$56,231
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$47,341
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
$45,673
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Theological and Ministerial Studies
BachCIP: 3906
Median Debt
$31,470
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,535
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Master's Degrees
Bible/Biblical Studies
MastCIP: 3902
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,028
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$34,635
Earnings (4yr)
$79,472
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$45,100
Earnings (4yr)
$55,791
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$189k
Curriculum and Instruction
MastCIP: 1303
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$38,289
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$343k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Finance and Financial Management Services
MastCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
International Business
MastCIP: 5211
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,121
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
MastCIP: 3099
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $75,122
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Religion/Religious Studies
MastCIP: 3802
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,737
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
MastCIP: 1314
Median Debt
$19,147
Earnings (4yr)
$51,886
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$226k
Theological and Ministerial Studies
MastCIP: 3906
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,838
Natl Median: $61,300
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Doctoral Degrees
Educational Administration and Supervision
DocCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.